Tom Paris
Thomas Eugene Paris was a human Starfleet officer who returned home from the Delta Quadrant in 2378 after serving for seven years as flight controller of the Federation starship [[USS Voyager|USS Voyager]]. Family and Academy Years As the son of a senior Starfleet official, Admiral Owen Paris, Tom Paris often felt inadequate due to the pressure his father put on him to excel in Starfleet. (VOY: "Persistence of Vision") At the Academy, in the 2360s, Admiral Paris was the instructor of his course on Survival Strategies. Admiral Paris did not play favorites with his son as his student, giving Tom Paris a "B-minus", overall, in the course. (VOY: "Parturition") During his first year at the Academy, Tom fell in love for the first time with Susie Crabtree. She broke off the relationship and he almost failed Stellar Cartography, broke out in hives and couldn't get out of bed for a week as a result. He spent much of that year in a daze as a result and even years later would think of her from time to time. (VOY: "Lifesigns") He was very interested in the Mars missions and knew all its projects from the 1970s on. One of his ancestors was a pilot who flew the first orbital glider over the lower martian plateau. (VOY: "11:59") Starfleet Career Upon graduation Paris was assigned to the [[USS Exeter|USS Exeter]]. Later, he was dismissed from Starfleet when he tried to cover up a piloting error on his behalf which led to the deaths of three fellow officers at Caldik Prime. (VOY: "Non Sequitur") Incarceration After being expelled from Starfleet he joined the Maquis but was captured on his first mission. Paris was serving time in a Federation Penal Settlement in New Zealand when he received a visit from Captain Kathryn Janeway. She gave him the opportunity to redeem himself by participating on a mission to track down the Maquis who were hiding in the Badlands. After a short hesitation, he decided to take this opportunity. USS Voyager The First Year When [[USS Voyager|USS Voyager]] was stranded in the Delta Quadrant, he was promoted to flight controller, with his Starfleet rank of Lieutenant junior grade reinstated. He was granted the additional job as a medic for The Doctor when an assessment for medical replacements was brought forth. (VOY: "Caretaker", "Parallax") While on a mission to Banea to repair a damaged collimator, Tom Paris was convicted of murdering Tolen Ren. The images of Ren's last moments up to his death were implanted into Paris' brain which caused neural damage. Many efforts led by Tuvok gave him enough proof that Paris was innocent. At a hearing on Banea, Tuvok was able to present proof that Tom Paris was being used as a messenger for the Numiri. The images implanted in his mind included information from Ren's weapons research. The images were removed from his mind and he was free to leave. (VOY: "Ex Post Facto") Paris, along with Torres, was captured by the Vidiians. Torres was subjected to an experiment that parted her human and Klingon halfs, and Paris, after working at hard labor, was going to have his organs harvested. Chakotay and a rescue squead was able to save them. (VOY: "Faces") 2372 He would have a fight with Neelix over Kes. Both would be together on an away mission and had to depend on each other for survive. They would become close friends. (VOY: "Parturition") Paris was the first Starfleet officer to reach warp 10. The experience caused him to begin to mutate. He then kidnapped Janeway and took her on a warp ten journey, which caused her to mutate. When they were found they had evolved into amphibians. They produced two offsprings which the crew left on the planet. Back on Voyager, the doctor is able to de-evolve them back to their human forms. (VOY: "Threshold") Kazon Paris would be instrumental in the battle with the Kazon. He would pretend to leave Voyager, in order to expose a traitor among the crew. He would also lead a fleet of Talaxian ships which would recapture Voyager after it was captured by Culluh. Voyager was sabotaged by the Doctor allowing Paris to retake it. After retaking the ship, Paris would rescue the rest of the crew from a primtive planet the Kazon stranded them on. (VOY: "Investigations" and "Basics, Part II") 2373 In 2373 he was arrested along with Kim and sentenced for a terrorist act he did not commit. Even through Janeway was able to prove their innocence, the authorities refused to release them. After the two men suffered horribly in the prison for a while, Voyager was able to rescue them.(VOY: "The Chute)" He was attacked by an alien race known as the Swarm. However, Torres was able to get him back to the ship for medical care. He then traveled back in time to stop Henry Starling from stealing a time ship. He was part of the away team. (VOY: "Swarm", "Future's End, Part I" and "Future's End, Part II") That year the feelings between Torres and Paris would begin to make itself evident. During the time Torres was infected with pon farr by crewman Vorik, then she displayed feelings of passion toward Paris. (VOY: "Blood Fever") He was part of an away team that discovered that the planet Takar was being ruled by two Ferengi who had arrived on the planet after being trapped in the Delta Quadrant by an unstable wormhole. He would almost be killed when a holoprogram that was sabotaged by Seska. It's safety protocals were off line and the program about a maquis take over of the ship was in progress. (VOY: False Profits, Worst Case Scenario) First Contacts The year 2374 would bring many new encounters with different alien species, some for the good, and some for the worst. During a mission to retrieve the warp core of Voyager which had to be jettisoned due to a failed experiment, Torres and Paris were attacked by the Caatati. As they floated in space in their EV suits, they professed their love for each other. (VOY: "Day of Honor") During the year of confrontation with the Krenim time ship, Paris was captured and taken aboard the ship with Chakotay. He tried to sabotage the ship in order to restore the timeline. He would secretly tranmit the location of the Krenmin ship to Janeway who was able to crash Voyager into the ship, destroying it and restoring the timeline.(VOY: "Year of Hell, Part I", "Year of Hell, Part II" He would play the role of an army officer in the Hirogen holodeck programs that used the crew as prey. He and Torres' character had a romantic relationship before the war.(VOY: "The Killing Game, Part I" and "The Killing Game, Part II") Later that year Paris' body was stolen by an alien named Steth, who switched bodies with him. He was able to regain his body with the help of another humanoid who also had its body stolen by Steth. (VOY: "Vis à Vis") While exploring a toxic planet Paris and Kim would come in contact with sliver blood, a sentient substance that duplicated them in order to experience consciousness. (VOY: Demon) Conflict With The Borg Paris would take part in the battle between the Borg and Species 8472 after Janeway allied with the Borg. Voyager would provide the Borg with weapons to combat their enemy and the Borg would provide safe passage through their space. (VOY: "Scorpion, Part I", "Scorpion, Part II") During the incident with the Borg, when Voyager tried to stop them from exploding a bio weapon in Earth atmosphere, Paris piloting the Delta Flyer, would rescue Janeway and Seven after the weapon was disabled. (VOY: "Dark Frontier") Paris would be captured by a Borg Cube that was piloted by borg children who had been separated from the hive when the older borg drones died, after an accident in space. Seven would persuade the children to release Paris and the other members of the away team. (VOY: "Collective") 2375 In 2375 Paris would build the Delta Flyer, which was used in a confrontation with the Malon. He used it to salvage a Federation probe before the Malon did. (VOY: "Extreme Risk") Tom Paris was demoted to ensign in 2375 for disobeying orders, but by the end of 2376 had earned back his rank of Lieutenant junior grade. He disobeyed orders and attempt to interfere in a ocean society that was threatened the loss of containment of the ocean. (VOY: "Thirty Days") He became trapped on a planet and was taught survival techniques by Noss. (VOY: "Gravity") 2376 2376 would bring many adventures and dangers. He would salvage an alien ship that had a neural interface that almost led to his death. He fought against the Vaadwaur.(VOY: "Alice", "Dragon's Teeth"), After returning from an away mission, he began to have dreams that he had participated in a massacre. These were memories produced by a synaptic transmitter on a planet they had landed on. It was put there to keep alive the memorials of the people who were killed. (VOY: "Memorial") He accompanied Chakotay and Seven in the investigation of a sub space energy cloud. They discover the Ares IV which had been trapped inside the cloud in 2033. They too are trapped but manage to escape by using parts from the old ship to fix the Delta Flyer. (VOY: One Small Step) The Return During the last year of Voyager's journey, he helped the Borg drones of Unimatrix Zero escape from the hive. He would marry Torres during the running of an intestellar starship race. He helped Torres accept her Klingon heritage and allow their baby to be born with Klingon characteristics. He also fought for her honor when a group of Klingons believed she was carrying the savior of the Klingon race. (VOY: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I", "Drive", "Lineage", and "Prophecy") While piloting the Delta Flyer through Ledosian space, Paris is charged with reckless piloting, and must attend a piloting class. He fails the course when he rescues an away team from the planet and disables a deflector shield.(VOY: Natural Law) He was captured by a race that had been contaminated by an old Earth probe. He was rescued, but his crewmate, Joe Carey, was killed. (VOY: "Friendship One") During the last battle with the Borg which would enable Voyager to return home, his first child was born, a daughter named Miral. (VOY: "Endgame") Holoprograms One of his holo-programs, Captain Proton was mistakenly taken for real by aliens who thought that they were going to be attacked by Dr. Chaotica. Janeway assumed the character of Queen Arachnia and defeat Chaotica. (VOY: Bride of Chaotica!) Later while using the program, Paris would play a joke on Kim and turn his holodate, Maggie, into a cow. When some of the villagers saw this, believed that Kim and Paris were evil spirits. They captured them and tried to drive the spirits from them. Due to damage to the holodeck the characters had become self aware. After Janeway explained the situation to Michael Sullivan, he comed down the villagers and the pair was released. (VOY: Fair Haven, Spirit Folk) Alternate Timelines *''In an alternate timeline, for his first official away mission, Tom Paris joined Kathryn Janeway, B'Elanna Torres, and Tuvok on a planet devistated by the detonation of a polaric ion device. Due to a Subspace fracture, he and Janeway were pulled back in time prior to the detonation. They were taken hostage by protestors protesting against the use of Polaric energy. When being escorted to a Polaric power plant, along with a boy named Latika, Janeway told a guard that she and Paris were hostages. One of the protestors went to shoot at Latika, but Paris took the bullet.'' (VOY: "Time and Again") *''When Kim mistakenly enters an alternate reality in which he was never assigned to Voyager, Paris helped him return to his own reality. In that timelilne, Paris served his sentence at a penal colony and moved to Paris. He spent his time at Sandrine's drinking and hustling pool. He did not know Kim, but would help him anyway. (VOY: "Non Sequitur") *''In another alternate timeline made null by Kes travelling back through time, Paris married and had a child with Kes, named Linnis. This was during the timeline that Kes was experiencing time jumps that were talking her back in time. These were the results of the attacks by the Krenim who were using phase torpedos. ''(VOY: "Before and After") *''In the alternate timeline, in which ''Voyager crashed on an L-Class world in the Alpha Quadrant after an accident with an experimental quantum slipstream drive, Paris died upon impact, along with the rest of the crew, save Harry Kim and Chakotay, who were aboard the Delta Flyer.'' (VOY: "Timeless") *''In an alternate timeline, in which it took Voyager 16 more years to return to Earth, Paris retired from Starfleet and became a holonovelist.'' (VOY: "Endgame") Hobbies Tom Paris had a variety of interests, but many of them focused on 20th century North American culture, specifically the latter half of the century – old scifi movies, pulp scifi, "muscle cars" and automobiles in general, and similar pursuits. He created his own holoprogram called Grease Monkey in which he could tinker with old cars. (VOY: "Vis à Vis") He liked 20th century snacks (in that period better known as "junk food") such as hot dogs, popcorn, and pizza. He was interested in 19th century sailing vessels and seemed to have some interest in Irish culture, as was evidenced by his creation of the Fair Haven holoprogram. He was fond of playing practical jokes, particularly on Tuvok. For example, he reprogrammed a holographic Vulcan monastery that Tuvok uses in a variety of ways (including dressing one of the central figures in sleepwear, and changing the chants to Ferengi chants about profit). He also reprogrammed all the systems Tuvok interacted with to say "live long and prosper" whenever he used them. Personal relationships B'Elanna Torres B'Elanna Torres was Voyager 's Chief Engineer and eventually would become Tom's wife. Half human and half Klingon, B'Elanna had a fiery disposition that was tempered by a vulnerable side that was very endearing. Their first real flirtation occurred in 2373 during an away mission on a shuttlecraft when Tom asked B’Elanna if she had a hot date back on Voyager. When she denied any interest in the attentions of Crewman Freddy Bristow, Tom suggested that she might join him on the holodeck sometime. B’Elanna, aware of Tom’s reputation as a ladies’ man, turned him down flat. (VOY: "The Swarm") The relationship heated up later that year when Ensign Vorik, struck with the Pon farr, asked B’Elanna to become his mate. She also turned him down, but in his passion, Vorik took her face in his hands and unintentionally initiated a telepathic mating bond. Driven to distraction with this blood fever, B’Elanna became trapped with Tom in a cave on a planet. Although she begged for him to have sex with her, Tom refused because he realized that she was not in control of her actions. Both of them admitted that they had been nurturing feelings for each other, but Tom was adamant that he would not misuse the situation. When Tuvok finally rescued them, he told Tom that unless he had sex with B’Elanna, she would die from the Pon Farr-like symptoms. He was ready to accede to B’Elanna’s wishes when Vorik interrupted them to claim her for himself. Ultimately, B’Elanna and Vorik fought to end the Pon Farr. Later, in a turbolift, B’Elanna told Tom that they should forget the whole thing, but he insisted that even though he had seen her “big scary Klingon side”, he was still interested. Her last words as she departed the turbolift were: "Careful what you wish for, Lieutenant." (VOY: "Blood Fever") Although occurring in an alternate future, Tom and B’Elanna again appeared as a couple when Kes began to live her life backwards. However, when she finally stabilized in 2373, it was obvious that Tom and B’Elanna were still just friends. (VOY: "Before and After") Tom and B’Elanna grew to become close friends and Tom even began to work Klingon martial arts programs with her on the holodeck, even though B’Elanna was not impressed by the scenarios. When the entire crew lost Voyager to a race known as the Nyrians, they became stranded on a spacecraft with prison cells simulated to be environments suitable for the prisoners. In an attempt to escape, Tom and B’Elanna became trapped in an “ice age” scenario and were forced use themselves to stimulate warmth. (VOY: "Displaced") It became obvious that they were growing closer when they shared an illicit holoprogram that B’Elanna found depicting a Maquis mutiny on Voyager. (VOY: "Worst Case Scenario") Later, Tom made up excuses to end his duty shift sooner to be with B'Elanna. He even used the transporter to get to her without being seen by other crew members. Eventually they were caught by Tuvok when they met on the upper deck of Main Engineering. After this Tom and B'Elanna were terrified that their relationship would be known among the entire Voyager crew. They even tried to prevent this by but entering the briefing room at the same time. Although at this time their relationship was passionate they were not sure if their relationship would have a future. Tuvok never mentioned that he caught both of them to Captain Kathryn Janeway but she found out and reprimanded them. It seemed she had heard about their relationship via other ways. When the involvement of the Srivani became clear it was thought that their feelings for each other might have been caused by their experiments but they were not sure about this. Even if is this was the case Tom and B'Elanna were willing to find out on their own. (VOY: "Scientific Method") Tom's relationship with B'Elanna would eventually lead to a marriage and in 2378 their daughter Miral Paris was born. (VOY: "Endgame") Harry Kim During their time on Voyager, Harry Kim would become Tom's best friend. Tom first met Harry Kim, a then naive Ensign straight out of Starfleet Academy, on board Deep Space 9 where a Ferengi bartender named Quark wanted to sell Harry some Lobi crystals. When he overheard their conversation he made a remark about the crystals, he had seen a dozen crystals in a shop at the Volnar colony for only one Cardassian lek. With this remark he sunk the deal the Ferengi wanted to make and prevented Harry Kim of paying to much for the crystals. Tom took Harry with him after he told him '' "Didn't they warn you about the Ferengi at the Academy?" '' When Tom reported on board Voyager Harry noticed the strange behaviour between Tom and the Chief Medical Officer. When he asked about this Tom told him it was a to long story and he was tired of telling it. Someone would tell Harry sooner or later. Harry found out what it was, an accident as a result of a pilot error which Tom tried to hide by falsifing reports but which he finally admitted was his fault. He told Tom he could choose his own friends. Overtime their friendship grew. Amoung other things, they had double dates with the Delaney sisters and spend leisure time with Tom's holoprogram, The Adventures of Captain Proton. Apocrypha In the Voyager relaunch book series, Paris moved to Boreth with his wife and daughter. He later re-joined the crew of the USS Voyager and is promoted to Lieutenant Commander (Tom, like many on Voyager, was promoted two steps in rank, to make up for the time he spent in the Delta Quadrant when he could not normally receive promotions). He serves as Voyager's First Officer, under the command of Captain Chakotay. In the Star Trek: Stargazer series of novels, written by Michael Jan Friedman, there is an officer on the USS Stargazer named Cole Paris. Cole is Owen's brother, and therefore Tom's uncle. An earlier Paris ancestor, Iron Mike Paris, appeared in the Star Trek: The Lost Era novel Serpents Among the Ruins by David R. George III. Background information From the Voyager pilot "Caretaker" on, Paris and Harry Kim were the best of friends. This was an attempt to capitalize on the chemistry that existed between best friends Julian Bashir and Miles O'Brien on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The relationship between Tom Paris and Harry Kim probably was also partly inspired the relationship between Nicholas Locarno and Wesley Crusher, with Tom standing in for Nicholas (wisecracking pilot) while Harry standing in for Wesley (skilled engineer). Previous type of this relationship probably started with Leonard McCoy and Spock in Star Trek, Geordi LaForge and Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation, with the future extension of this type is the relationship between Charles "Trip" Tucker III and Malcolm Reed in Star Trek: Enterprise Paris was largely based on the character of Nicholas Locarno from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The First Duty," who was also played by Robert Duncan McNeill. When the writers were trying to cast for the part, they couldn't find anyone that seemed to match McNeill's persona, so they eventually just asked him to read for the role, and he got the part. Reasons for not simply bringing back the Locarno character have varied. It may have been because they would have had to pay royalties to the writers of "The First Duty" every episode; though in interviews, the producers of Voyager have said they felt Locarno's actions in that episode made him irredeemable. Later, a photo of McNeill as Locarno was used as a photo of young Tom Paris on Admiral Owen Paris's desk in the episode "Pathfinder".'' Paris's middle name "Eugene" perhaps is a tribute to Eugene Wesley Roddenberry much like the name of "Wesley" in Wesley Crusher's name, making Paris as one more Star Trek TV series main character that shared similiar names with Gene Roddenberry. Paris, Tom Paris, Tom Paris, Tom Paris, Tom de:Tom Paris fr:Tom Paris